SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 5, 2000 -- And then there was 12. The Oscar camp has announced the dozen second-round qualifiers for the Best Documentary prize. And judging by the lineup, it doesn't look like the deciding committee is experiencing its usual "forgetfulness" when it comes to potential nominees. The list is a virtual hit parade, including some of the year's most talked-about films -- from the absurd ("Mr. Death" ) to the sublime ("Buena Vista Social Club") and the farcical ("American Mo

Synopsis

Marta Becket is a dancer for whom the creative life is an obstacle course of self-doubt, criticism and abandonment. In the 1960s, Marta and husband Tom broke down near the ghost town of Death Valley Junction, California. Among the structures they encountered there was a crumbling theater. This building became a permanent home for Marta and her unusual creative expression. Marta labored tirelessly for six years to paint a Renaissance-style audience on the walls, so that at least she would have painted people to entertain in the absence of a live one.